LI Herald: A new way of collaborating Schools, Molloy join forces to create ‘new-media incubator’

By Adrienne Lyons

Molloy College and the Baldwin School District are joining forces in a unique partnership that will create a "media incubator" in the former Shubert Elementary School, the college and the district announced.

"The partnership will encourage advancement in digital media literacy and social entrepreneurship," a news release from Molloy read. Students at Baldwin and Molloy will work together in a "Collaboratory" to develop practical skills that are expected to be in demand in the future job market.

Baldwin Superintendent Dr. Shari Camhi praised the new effort as "groundbreaking." She stressed that Baldwin is the "only district on Long Island that has been selected for this partnership.

"It's so 21st century," Camhi said at last week's Board of Education meeting. "It's about all the things we've been talking about."

In the Collaboratory, expected to launch next year, Baldwin students will experiment with new media technologies and coding platforms, guided by Baldwin High School teachers and Molloy's New Media faculty. Open workspaces will allow for mobility between projects, as well as enhanced teamwork and creativity, the news release stated.

Students will have "real-world experiences that translate theory into practice," Camhi said. "This Collaboratory will give our students the opportunity to work with higher-education professors and students and the experience of being entrepreneurs in the vibrant field of new media."

Molloy's president, Dr. Drew Bogner, said, "Creative solutions are needed today in both secondary and higher education, and we are fortunate to have found the ideal partner in the Baldwin School District. We look forward to implementing a program that will provide students with marketable skills while also creating a replicable model that can impact numerous communities within our region."

Besides the new-media instruction, technology-driven start-ups will be housed at Shubert, providing students with practical experience through internships.

The project is being funded by a $300,000 grant that Molloy secured from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council. A Molloy spokesman said that another $1.3 million would come from the college's technology and capital spending budgets.

Approximately 10,000 square feet of space at Shubert will be renovated and redesigned for the project. Malloy will also supply specialized media equipment for the students, as well as furniture and fixtures.

Jan 21, 2016

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